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Info Absolution (Summary - List of stories) . The Wounded Hawk << previous act | Act 3 of 4 | next act >> It's How You Play The Game << previous chapter |''' Chapter 21 of 39 | next chapter >> << previous scene | '''Scene 2 of 2 | next scene >> Summary * Location: *Participants: *Time: *Summary: Text Antares looked ashen and ill as he stepped out of the clinic doors, dropping on his haunches and lowering his head with a tremble. He breathed roughly in and out as he clenched his eyes shut, then he shook his head slowly before grinding his hooves into the frosty ground, lowering his head forwards and cursing under his breath, trembling and only glad it was so early in the morning there were no other ponies around to see him like this. To see him at all, so he could slink back to the library or all the way back home in shame. No pony blamed him, but that didn't matter: he blamed himself. He cursed, then looked back at the hind leg now wrapped in a cast before stomping it firmly, and sending a welcome blast of pain through his body, gritting his teeth and flinching but feeling vindictively, sickeningly glad for it. His ankle had been broken in three places, and the healing process had been excruciating... but it was nothing compared to what Meadowlark was going through. She had spent the entire night at the clinic, and Scarlet Sage wanted to keep her in one of the special care rooms for the rest of today, too, to monitor her while she slept fitfully. He had gone in to see her, hoping for the best.. and just the look on Scarlet Sage's face when he'd stepped inside had been enough to kill all hope that things would be okay, that her injuries were gone and healed. Prestige's magic hadn't properly healed Meadowlark's broken rib, or her internal injuries: the rib had instead warped and stretched, fusing into an organ as well as sealing along where it had been broken. Her inner punctures had clogged up, but her veins and innards were all a mess, fused together willy-nilly, new flesh here and there where there shouldn't be. And she had still been bleeding from a tear hidden deep in her abdomen... a slow leak that had filled much of her stomach blood, hiding any telltale signs of internal bleeding. And Meadowlark hadn't complained once about the pain. Had just wanted to impress them, to be like the ponies she not-so-secretly admired, a strong Pegasus instead of what she saw herself as, just a bookworm researcher. Antares trembled at this thought, then stomped his back hoof again, sending another bolt of pain through his body and cursing weakly. The only pony he could blame was himself... Prestige had just been trying to help, after all, and he hadn't been there to warn them, to help them, to guide them. He had been sulking and crying... and he had been the one who had kicked Meadowlark's ribs in while trying to lunge out of the pool. Now she needed healing that Scarlet Sage could only do so much of, even with her powers and working all night: later this afternoon, Meadowlark would be moved to Ponyville hospital, for surgery. Either way, she would likely never be the same again... never as strong, never as active, never able to participate in all the things she had longed to, thanks to how fragile this would likely make her. And Antares hated that thought, knowing what it would do to Meadowlark's self-esteem... knowing that she would blame herself, when it was all his fault. He rose his hoof again... but a voice said gently, before he could stomp it down: "That's not going to solve anything, kiddo. And you'll just make the pretty lady even more upset when she does wake up. You don't want that, do you?" Antares grimaced a bit, and then he looked to the side with a quiet sigh, glaring at Allonym. The Draconequus only smiled at him, however, a fedora on his head and a leather jacket hanging over his shoulders like a cape, the sleeves swaying quietly on either side of him. His hands rested atop his cane, and the young stallion looked at him moodily before Allonym glanced towards the dark gray skies above, murmuring: "I'm not a morning person, you know, but at the same time... I do love mornings. No one else is out, and if I can manage to wake myself up, I feel good." Antares only shook his head slowly at this, sighing quietly before he asked after a moment: "What do you want, Allonym? I... I don't know if I can exactly put up with mystic, mysterious advice right about now." "I might be cryptic, but I don't think I'm really mysterious or mystical. Come on, kid, cheer up. Let's walk." Allonym gestured calmly to the side, and Antares frowned moodily at him before the Draconequus said quietly: "It's important, okay?" Antares Mīrus hesitated a moment longer... then he sighed and nodded, striding over to the Draconequus. Allonym smiled down at him, reaching up to tap the brim of his fedora before he turned, cane tapping quietly against the frozen ground as he carried it more than used it. Antares fell in pace beside him, looking down the icy road as they made their way slowly through Ponyville, before the Draconequus said softly: "Everyone will tell you they want a story that's real... but often, people don't, did you ever realize that? I mean, seriously. When Arthur Conan Doyle killed Sherlock Holmes, he got so many angry letters he was forced to bring the great detective back. He's just lucky that Moriarty chucked him off a waterfall instead of set him on fire or something. "Anyway, I'm no sir. I'm not even Scrivener Blooms." The Draconequus muttered under his breath, shaking his head slowly. "Annoys me that your dad is a better writer than I am. Seriously grates my nerves. But anyway, whether I'm a hack or not, I do still have some advice for you, kid, and I do still want to try and turn out... the real story here. Help things reach a decent conclusion instead of..." He halted, then shook his head slowly and smiled slightly, reaching up and tapping his temple gently as Antares frowned nervously up at him. "There's a few possible endings. None of them are... particularly pleasant at this moment in time. But am I ever hoping we can change that, gods am I ever. But here's the thing, Antares..." The Draconequus stopped and swung his cane out gently, putting it across the young pony's breast and stopping him as the strange creature continued to look up at the sky, even as Antares looked up at him silently. "Antares, don't... go overboard. You've got what it takes to be a good person, a real, tried and true hero... but you have this little self-esteem issue. More than that, you have..." He paused, looking thoughtfully down before shaking his head slowly. "Look, kid. You don't have to save the world. Stopping Cancer won't save the world. Saving your parents won't save the world... for all you know, it could screw things over in the long run, wake up some of that dormant machinery still eternally waiting in Clockwork World for... for some new master to get the gears running and the pistons pumping and the corruption flowing again. "You need to concentrate on yourself a little more, and on your friends, too. And you need to learn that what you think, what you feel, what others think of you... doesn't matter in the long run." Allonym smiled a little, glancing over at Antares as the young stallion frowned up at him. "I know, and it's not that I don't care about you, or your opinion. I want you to be happy, kid, I do, because there's going to be suffering in the future. But if you want to make everything work out... sometimes you have to disappoint people a little, sometimes you have to say no, sometimes you have to do stuff that makes no sense to anyone else. But Antares, if disappointing your Aunt today meant saving one of your friends' lives tomorrow, would you?" Antares hesitated, then he nodded slowly and sighed quietly before asking quietly: "But how the hell am I supposed to know when to do that, Allonym? You... do you think I'm choosing to screw up or something? Do you think that just because I can see into people, it means I should be able to magically know just what to do?" "No, I'm not saying that at all." Allonym glanced down at him mildly, then he smacked his chest gently with his cane. "Chill out, cranky-flank. You're too young to be bitter yet... hell, I don't want to see you turning bitter and grumpy on me at all, there's enough ponies like that around as it is. "And you know, Antares, don't give me that bull that you don't." Allonym turned towards him, and Antares opened his mouth, but Allonym simply tossed his cane up to catch by the neck and shoved the snarling dragon handle against Antares' face, making him wince and fall silent. "No, listen, kid. With Meadowlark, you wanted to call for help, but she said no. So why didn't you? Yeah, I know the answer... because you didn't want to disappoint her, or your friends and family. You didn't want to go against her, especially under the gazes of all your friends, after you'd screwed up once already. But you know you should have." Antares closed his eyes tightly, then he reached up and shoved the cane away, trembling as he looked up and snapped: "I don't... I don't need these lectures anymore! You, Aunt Tia, Twilight... you all expect so much of me, but do you know what it's like, living in my parents' shadow? Expected not just to live up to them, but to somehow be even better than they ever were? It feels impossible, Allonym! I'm tired of it, I'm sick and tired of all of it... why the hell am I supposed to be so much better than everypony else and why the hell can't any of you just cut me a break?" Allonym looked at the glossy black stallion, who breathed hard in and out before he finally shuddered and closed his eyes, bowing his head as a flush suffused his cheeks before he mumbled: "I... I'm sorry. I'm... the stress." "I know. And I am going to be understanding and kind as I can, Antares, but you... you're so stubborn and thick-headed at times that you seem to only learn through hard lessons." Allonym said quietly, then he turned around and closed his eyes before saying softly: "Here. Let me show you what could happen if we weren't so hard on you, though. If all of us didn't push so goddamn hard to train you, and teach you, and keep you on the right path." Allonym rose his hand and snapped his fingers... and a moment later, Antares was shrouded in shadows, staring back and forth in confusion before reality faded in around him, in grays and blacks. He was standing alone in an empty field, the grass under his hooves dead, a few scraggly trees here and there... and then he stumbled backwards with a yell of surprise as broken stones and monuments tore suddenly up out of the ground, sending sprays of earth and rock in all directions. He fell backwards with a grunt as something ripped out of the earth behind him, wincing as he smacked into something... and he stared up over his shoulder in horror at a decaying statue of Celestia, posed with her head proudly raised, marks of wear over her cheeks as if the statue had been crying... and for so long it had worn down the stone. Antares turned around, stumbling away and looking down as he saw the plaque at the bottom of the... the grave. Oh god, Aunt Tia's grave... "N-No... how could this-" "Because they died, honey, protecting you from me... always hoping that at the end, my sweet little pet, you would be the leader, the savior, the shining light they would all believe in... but oh, handsome colt, you never rose to the occasion..." said a mocking, teasing voice, and Antares looked back and forth amongst the broken gravestones and wretched monuments, breathing hard before he caught sight of a flash of crimson eyes as a figure darted through the corner of his sight, then chuckled quietly. Antares whirled to face it, but it was already gone as its voice whispered from all around him: "Yeah, how pathetic. You couldn't do a thing..." "No! No, I... I always... I tried my hardest!" Antares shouted, looking desperately back and forth, and Cancer's voice laughed again at him. "Really, sweet-cheeks? You tried your hardest? Oh, that's hilarious!" Cancer mocked, and Antares staggered around in a circle as fear overwhelmed him, bolting past graves and tombstones, looking back and forth in terror. "Looks like you're trying your hardest again! Oh I love this!" "Shut up! Leave me alone, this isn't real! Allonym, stop it, stop!" Antares shouted desperately, looking back and forth before he staggered to a stop in front of a mausoleum... and his eyes widened before he staggered backwards as tears spilled down his face. The decrepit stone mausoleum was overrun with vines and black roses, and engraved over the front were three names: the names of his parents. He moaned weakly, staggering backwards... and then looked up in horror as a mottled white monster crawled slowly to the edge of the rooftop to grin down at him, red eyes burning as Cancer whispered gleefully: "You were so focused, sweetie, on getting Mommy and Daddy back... that you just kept running away. You were so focused on 'the job' or whatever, that you were willing to send your friends into the fight against me... you said you believed in them, but oh, that wasn't true, was it? No, no, no... instead, you just wanted to buy yourself more time. You were scared of what I could do to you, and oh sure, maybe you were scared for them, too... but Mommy and Daddy, Mommy and Daddy, it was all about Mommy and Daddy, right?" Cancer cackled, half-falling forwards and slamming a hoof against the front of the mausoleum before he snarled and straightened, whispering: "And oh, honey. I adored it. I stopped hating you, sweetie, and I started loving you! You made it so much fun! And you led me right into that dark, dangerous, dank, blood-filled place where ooh, I got such a taste of power... "You woke Mommy and Daddy up, sure, and I was scared for a little while... but oh honey, then I saw how weak they were, and how horrified when you brought them home here, and they found all their friends gone, only the zombie waiting for them, because by then the white weasel finally was giving in to my infection, the infection I spread all through this world... because you see, you were the butterfly. You flapped your wings on one side of the world, and caused a typhoon on the other: your sweet, delicious refusal to help your friendy-wendies out, the way you sacrificed them for your own goal, the way you kept running away because you were so scared of me... oh honey. I loved it, because then your friends' friends and their parents came a hunting for me... and just mm, made the most delicious little meals..." "No! No, I would never do that! I'd fight you, I'd... I'll kill you!" Antares shouted furiously, and Cancer laughed loudly before he slowly stood, grinning, mottled and yet magnificent atop the mausoleum, terrifying as he looked cruelly down at Antares. "Really? You were so obsessed with your jobs you just sent your friends off to ambush and distract me while you did the mission. Whenever we met, you did whatever you had to in order to get away from me. And for some reason they never stopped believing in you. Always held you up, sweetie, as something to protect... that's why attacking you became my new favorite past time. You never hung around... but all your friends, oh, they would run out to protect you... and I caught them one by one by one, with you as my sweet little bait. You, who they never abandoned... and yet you never listened. You kept running out into the field to play with all the posies... that was how I got your parents, too. They died protecting you, don't you remember? They died, and the zombie crawled after them into this big above-ground grave, and they all lay together sweet and serene. I left 'em perfectly preserved, all for you... all to remind you of what a disappoint you are. A failure." Cancer giggled, licking his lips before he leapt forwards, landing in front of Antares as the young stallion breathed hard in and out, staring weakly across at this horrible, terrible entity. "It turns out me and you... we ain't so different. You kill, I kill, we kill. That's why I kept you alive. That's why honey..." Cancer leaned forwards, breathing slowly over Antares' face as his red eyes glowed with delight. "I ain't gonna kill you now. Or ever. Oh no, sweetie, don't you worry, don't you cry. I'm gonna keep you strong and healthy, because I adore your pain. I love the way you struggle. Because, punk, you're a failure. And destruction and failure go claw-in-hoof." The mottled monster laughed in Antares' face, and the young unicorn shouted wordlessly before slashing forwards with his horn into the monster's face. Cancer shattered like glass as reality burst into fragments with him, stunning the young stallion as he staggered backwards and fell heavily on his haunches, gasping hard... before he looked stupidly up to see Allonym standing calmly, quietly beside him in the town square of Ponyville, the Draconequus gazing down at him before he reached a hand up and gently ruffled the unicorn's mane. "We push you because we believe in you. If we believed in you without pushing you, you'd be a different person than you are, Antares. You'd think you were the chosen one, and as long as you survived, you could fix everything... but you're not, and you can't." There was silence for a few moments, and then Antares shivered for a moment before he dropped his head forwards, swallowing thickly as he whispered: "I... I'm never going to turn into that, Allonym. I'm not going to sacrifice my friends for me, I never could... be so selfish, I know... I know Mom and Dad would be disappointed in me if I even considered doing something like that and... and..." Allonym only smiled faintly, then he looked up at the sky and said softly: "Only a couple of days ago you were yelling at a kid four years younger than you to help pick up what's essentially a giant gemstone, while your other friends bled and suffered and risked hypothermia and death. Antares, you weren't so far away from the edge as you think you are... but that's our fault more than yours, maybe, with how often we tell you what faith we have in you, what... a spectacular hero you could be one day." He fell quiet as Antares lowered his head in shame, then shrugged and glanced over his shoulder, smiling a little as he gestured towards the library across the square. "Go in there, tell your Aunt and Twilight-Mom how much you love 'em, give 'em a hug and make a promise to them. Promise 'em... you're gonna make them proud. And I'll see you in a few weeks, but I'm not sure if you'll see me or not." Antares looked up quietly, and then, as the Draconequus began to walk away, he asked quietly: "Allonym... why don't you just fix me? Fix everything?" "Because you're not broken, kiddo. And I can't do that..." Allonym looked over his shoulder, shaking his head slowly. "Any more than I can give away the plot twists ahead, or anything else. I can warn you of imminent danger... but if I give away much more than that, it could be the equivalent of sending you to your deaths, or making you prepare for one nasty danger while another crops up somewhere else. "Look, Antares. You're growing up." Allonym smiled a bit, saying softly: "One day you'll look back on all this and be proud of yourself for pushing through everything... you know, if you manage to do it right. If you keep on a solid path. One day, you'll understand that the time you spent in pain taught you more than the time you spent happy, that you're shaped by experiences positive and negative. That you need both to... become the kind of pony that I know you want to be. Just keep swinging, kid. You'll be fine." With that, Allonym turned and calmly strode away, and Antares sighed a little as he watched the Draconequus head to a side alley and vanish into it. For a few moments, he was tempted to try and follow, but then he only shook his head before apprehensively turning his eyes towards the library. He made his way slowly towards it... then he glanced up with a surprised frown when a voice called his name, before dumbly glancing over to the side to see Sleipnir approaching with a cheerful smile on his face, the enormous vine-maned stallion gazing at him benevolently. Antares smiled awkwardly, and then his uncle asked him kindly as he drew in close: "'What burdens thee, Antares? Was it the Draconequus I saw thee chatting with?" "Kind of. And other stuff, too." Antares admitted, glancing up at his uncle before he smiled a little and shook his head, asking quietly: "What are you doing here, Sleipnir? Do you want me to get Aunt Tia for you?" "Nay, I am here for thou, actually. And 'tis both a pleasant surprise and most disappointing to see thou art already awake, Antares, I most direly wished to wake thee up myself." Sleipnir said cheerfully, reaching up and ruffling the young stallion's mane, and he laughed despite himself before the earth pony continued easily: "I require some aid at the forge today, and as handsome Spike is not available, I was hoping thou could lend me thy hooves. I shall pay thee most handsomely for thy aid." "Oh, well, you don't have to pay me, Sleipnir... working and learning beside you is an honor." Antares said awkwardly, smiling a little up at the stallion, who only chuckled quietly in response. They looked at one-another for a few moments, and then the glossy-black unicorn glanced towards the library, saying finally: "I'll just let Aunt Tia know-" "Nonsense, thou art going about this all wrong." Sleipnir huffed, and Antares looked dumbly up at him before the enormous, vine maned male leaned forwards and shouted at the door, making the windows rattle and Antares wince backwards, blushing deeply as he wondered how many ponies Sleipnir had just woken up: "Celestia! I am kidnapping our nephew for much of today! And thou may not have him back until I say so!" There was silence for a few moments, broken only by the occasional click as ponies opened doors around the square to stare out at Sleipnir and Antares, as the young stallion grinned lamely and awkwardly looked up at the enormous stallion, who only looked cheerful as ever... and then finally, the library door swung open, Celestia looking mildly out at her younger sibling before she said dryly: "It's six thirty in the morning, Sleipnir. You likely just woke up half of Ponyville. And the blacksmith's isn't even running at this hour." "Well, if I woke up half of Ponyville, then perhaps the blacksmith's was on the side that was awoken. 'Twill be no problem to get in and use the forge then." Sleipnir said blandly, and Celestia sighed tiredly at this logic before the enormous earth pony added meditatively: "And only half of Ponyville? 'Tis disappointing. My lungs must still be infected from this most terrible of diseases, aye, that is all." Celestia rolled her eyes, then she glanced at Antares, opening her mouth: before she could say anything, however, the vine-maned stallion wildly shook his head and stomped a hoof, making Antares wince and Celestia glare as he said firmly: "Nay, 'tis my nephew now, not thine, until we are done at the forge! Thou may not ask any questions of him, sweet sibling, not until I give him back to thee." "Sleipnir." Celestia glowered at him, but Sleipnir only huffed and looked pointedly in return, and finally the winged unicorn rolled her eyes and gave a tired sigh. "Oh, why bother even trying to argue with you? But please try and come back by early afternoon, Antares. I want to speak to you and your friends about what's happened." Antares nodded as Sleipnir grumbled something about rule-breaking, and then the young stallion hesitated before looking up and saying quietly: "Aunt Tia, I'm sorry about everything. I want to promise you that I'm gonna do better and make you proud in the future. And I want you to know that... I love you and respect you, and I understand why you need to be hard on me at times." Celestia smiled after a moment, looking touched as she bowed her head quietly forwards... and then Sleipnir huffed again before he wrapped a foreleg around Antares' shoulders and squeezed him almost painfully, complaining: "And what of me! 'Tis not my fault that thy delightful mother Twilight and wicked Celestia keep thee confined here, all to themselves! Oh, Twilight Sparkle, I can understand: she is as much a mother to thou as Luna was..." Sleipnir halted for a moment, then softened and looked down, shaking his head slowly as he murmured softly: "Oh, little sister, how I wish I could honor thee and thy husband more each and every day... but at least I can look upon thou with confidence, Antares, and know thou art... thou art on the right path. Thou shall make them proud... nay, thou makes them proud already! And I suppose with that in mind, dear sister... 'tis probably for the best he is under thy constant watch instead of off cavorting with me. I fear that little sister would not take it well if I challenged her son to drinking contests and games of sport." Celestia only laughed at this, however, loosening up visibly as she gazed quietly down at Antares but spoke to her brother, replying gently: "Maybe, but maybe not, Sleipnir... and maybe I am being perhaps a little... selfish. There is much you have to teach yourself, after all, and sometimes I think the things you've mentored Antares in so far are much better than the little I've taught him... and I'm sure Luna would desire for you to teach the full extent of your knowledge with her son... whatever that meant. She always thought the world of you." "She thought the world of us both, Celestia, and she idolized and loved thee as much as me, if not greater." Sleipnir replied empathetically, and then he smiled softly as he glanced down at Antares and slapped the young unicorn on the back, almost knocking him sprawling as he gave a little squeak of pain from his cast-covered hind leg kicking reflexively against the ground. "But aye, perhaps I shall strive to teach thee a little more today then, Antares Mīrus. I have not much to teach... but thou art like a son to me." He paused, then grinned and winked. "Then again, my daughter is also like a son to me, and I do delight in seeing the two of thee together. How it reminds me of the old days, Celestia!" "It reminds me of Scrivener and Pinkamena, actually." Celestia said softly, and then she shook her head and smiled softly as Antares blushed a bit, glancing warmly back and forth between his uncle and aunt... his family, and two treasured mentors. "But don't let me keep you any longer. I'm sure your uncle has much to share with you." Sleipnir nodded firmly, and then he winked down at Antares, saying cheerfully: "But I shall have to be careful all the same, for thou art still young and as it is, my lovely phoenix has battered and bludgeoned me for sharing too many details with my sweet daughter about certain lessons of life's battlefields. And I do not need both her and Celestia pummeling me for telling thee all the many ways a stallion may make a mare squeal by using his-" Celestia glared at him as Antares blushed, and Sleipnir reared back as if offended, saying in a hurt voice even as his eyes glimmered with mischief: "Poetry! Poetry, of course, is what I meant to say, for what is-" "Just leave, Sleipnir. And no poetry." Celestia said tiredly, stepping back and closing the door. Sleipnir only laughed, however, then he smiled down at Antares and winked... and the young stallion smiled back after a moment despite himself, knowing that there was a world he could learn from his uncle... as long as he remembered to try and tune out certain favorite subjects of the enormous stallion, that was. Category:Transcript Category:Story